2019 Yamaha WR450F review

Watching the pro riders punt the new 2019 WR450F around the grass track special test at the recent Aussie launch, I knew the bike was a serious weapon. The thing was barking out of corners, murdering berms and launching small jumps like a monster truck. It’s a weapon alright, based on the YZ450F motocrosser. But how does it suit a 45-year-old father-of-three trail rider? In essence, me, the Aussie demographic.

That demographic makes up many of those spending the $13,299 on the 1500 or so units Yamaha intends to sell in Oz once it goes on sale in January 2019, so can it be tamed enough to make a day in the bush enjoyable for a trail rider, as well as demolish special test times at the International Six Day Enduro?

Yamaha isn’t silly, it knows where its bread is buttered, so even though the bike was developed with riders such as one of Australasia’s best motocrossers, Josh Coppins, it has added features to help weekend warriors make the fearsome WR a mild mannered lounge chair in the bush. Well, not quite, but more than you might expect.

Before I go on, it has to be noted our test bikes were brand new. They had bugger all kays on them, so the suspension was firm and spikey at first, the engines were tight and everything felt well and truly squeaky clean. Now, while there is a thrill to hopping on a brand new dirt bike and making it dirty, I’ve been around long enough to know a 450 dirt bike needs some kays to loosen up in all areas, particularly the suspension.

The more we rode them, the more compliant they got, but we can only test what we are supplied. Next time, Yamaha, I reckon enlist some Bikesales readers to help you get 300km on them. At least…

To help tame the beast though, Yamaha has now included the Power Tuner App for smartphone tuning, a free download, along with the hardware to fit to the bike (amongst the Competition Pack all Aussie and New Zealand bikes will ship with) to fine-tune your engine’s ignition and fuel maps. This is gold.

It’s a fact many riders never touch their suspension clickers, or even tyre pressures (!), however as we march steadily towards being official phone zombies there’s a good chance riders will use this app. I know I did!

Being motocross-based, the engine has received a few updates for 2019, the idea being to mellow it out a little. A more enduro-spec ECU, for instance, aimed at better throttle response and a lighter clutch, also aimed at reducing wear on the fingers over a long day clutching it over logs. But it’s not enough.

This bike punches hard off the bottom end with a crisp throttle response, in the standard map. It’s a weapon on a grass track, but in tight bush in anything less than a pro’s hand, it can be demanding.

Tapping the “blue button” to select a milder map two was a help, but I needed more than that. I like a tractor in the bush and, while a 450 is always going to thump hard, I like to ride them in the meaty torque they produce rather than wringing their neck.

So, after one session, I found myself hunched over my phone, joining up to my bike thanks to the serial numbers and password Yamaha had set it up with. My first thought was to slow everyone else’s bike right down, but unless you have the password you can’t do it. It would be funny though…

Instead, I added fuel to reduce snap, and retarded ignition to mellow the bike out. I actually liked the bottom end as it was; I just wanted to smooth out the transition to the neck-snapping mid-range.

By the end of the first day, spent on the grass track, I had the engine much more manageable, as did the other trail rider-spec riders on the launch. Day two was a 100km trail ride, the while reason for this bike’s existence and I wanted to enjoy the day, without having to chase the bike around the bush as it motored off its head.

Another aspect I was very comfortable with by day one’s end, was the ride position. Yamaha put a lot of effort into flattening that seat and making the whole bike easier to move around on by making it more compact. I reckon the company has nailed this, as the ride position is close to perfect for me – sitting or standing.

Despite the flatter seat, it’s got more fuel range, too, with 7.9-litre tank now expandable to 8.5 once the internal funnel is removed. Easier to move around and more range: always good news for trail riders.

I was less happy with the suspension. Again, it was new and getting more compliant as the kays wore on but the bike feels nervous on small bumps unless you are pinned. I backed off the dampers and reviewed my spring sag at the back at the end of the first day.

As the trail ride started, I was too wary of the fork not absorbing hits without some deflection; not what I want from a trail fork. By the time lunch came around however, the bike was feeling much better in this area, the KYB SSS dual chamber forks working better with the new motocross-based frame to stay stable. By ride’s end, it was much better, but still not where I want my trail fork to be. Would more kays help? Probably.

The afternoon of day two, it was all coming together. We enjoyed a really challenging section any 450 would have struggled with and, despite the bike stalling easily thanks to a too-sensitive rear brake, it never overheated or got cantankerous in the slow, slippery, off-camber risky going. It isn’t the happiest-starting bike, working best with a small throttle crack to get it going, but mostly when hot.

The trail opened out not long afterwards, and the bike simply sings along second and third gear single track. Sliding back forth along the seat to get your body position right is a cinch, while the bike is noticeably lighter than the mode before – the claimed 119kg for a 450, ready to ride with headlight and all, is light.

The engine has enough power for anybody, and can be tamed with some phone action, relatively easily. It still won’t make it a pussy cat, but that’s not what you buy a WR450F for, any more. In years gone by, it was close to the mellowest of the 450s – not any more.

Other thoughtful trail riders features include an easier to get to air filter, the replacement of the speedo cable with a speedo sensor, making front wheel removal easier, and easier gear shifting thanks to some gearbox work to the shift stroke and gear teeth and dog shape.

Our ride was a hot one, both days, but the bike kept its cool, which was impressive. The new radiator cooling fan clearly works and we pushed it to the limit with one “extreme” section of trail I will never erase from my memory...

Once the shy, retiring 450 of the enduro ranks, the new WR450F carries on from the 2018 model in being an absolute weapon of a thing, but with some worthy features that will endear it to trail riders.

The Power Tuner App also holds handy information such as engine run hours, maintenance hours and schedules, the ability to check throttle position, intake air temperature and air pressure, and a race log function – as well as the ability to tune your engine within fine parameters. Don’t worry, you can’t kill it by leaning it out a step too far.

It is light, too, even the sidestand is lighter, so if racing is your bag, you’d be nuts not to take a long, hard, look at the Yamaha, especially given the price, which fares well when compared to higher spec ($15,590) Sherco Factory model, the KTM 450 EXC ($14,495) and the Beta ($13,195).

Trail riders will like it, once they dial in their engine tune and get the suspension settled in and as compliant as it gets. The compact nature of the bike, the light weight and the tunability of the WR450F make it an appealing machine. If you are new to trail riding, however, there are easier bikes to ride in the bush, though few are as tuneable or with as much potential at this price point.

The bush is full of blue for a reason, and this potent, feature-packed Yamaha is a reason for that to continue, even if I feel it is harder-edged than it needs to be for the purpose. Once you have the bike set up to your liking, however, it will carve through the bush with the best of them and make a real mess of a grass track. Yamaha’s WR450F continues to shine.

ENGINE
Type: Liquid-cooled, four-stroke DOHC single
Capacity: 450cc
Bore x stroke: 97mm x 60.9mm
Compression ratio: 12.8:1
Engine management: Electronic fuel injection

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: Not given
Claimed maximum torque: Not given

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six-speed
Final drive: Chain
Clutch: Wet, multiplate

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame: Alloy semi double cradle
Front suspension: KYB SSS dual chamber fork, 310mm travel
Rear suspension: KYB single shock, 217mm travel
Front brakes: Single disc
Rear brake: Single disc
Tyres: Front 90/90-21, rear 130/90-18

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Rake: 27 degrees
Trail: 116mm
Claimed kerb weight: 119kg
Seat height: 955mm
Wheelbase: 1480mm
Fuel capacity: 7.9 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: $13,299 plus on-road costs
Test bike supplied by: Yamaha Motor Australia
Warranty: Three months, parts only